Lock mechanism.



.I. S. HEADEN.

LOCK MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I9. 1918.

Patented Nov. 12, 19l&

WW ESS s 79 ATTORNEY JOHN SAMUEL HEADEN, OF- SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

LOCK MECHANISM.

Specification-of Letters Patent. t t d 12, 191

AppliatiohfiledMarch 19, 1918. Serial No. 223,389.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN S. HEADEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Greene and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Look Mechanism, of which the following is a speoification.

This invention relates to latches and more particularly to certain new and useful im provements in latches of the gravity type.

The primary obj ect of the invention is to provide an improved gravity latch which is constructed of a few simple parts easily as sembled, and can-be readily operated to lock or unlock a door or other closure to which it is attached.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch of the general character indicated above which includes a gravity tumbler and alatch bolt detachably connected therewith: the connection between the bolt and tumbler being reversible so that the bolt can be arranged to operate on either side of the door or other closure to which the latch is attached.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved gravity latch including a pivoted weight or tumbler which normally holds the latch bolt in a projected position, operating means being provided for the purpose of raising the tumbler to retract the bolt, and a catch adapted at times to be moved into engagement with the tumbler to prevent the latter from being moved to a bolt retracting position.

The above and other objects of this invention will be in part described and in part understood from the following description, of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side view of the lock, the top plate being removed to show the inside mechanism,

Fig. 2 is an edge view partly in section and Fig. 3 is a view of a detail.

In the drawings, I have used the numeral 1 to designate a door or other closure and 2 a lock casing secured to one side thereof. The casing is provided with the usual face plate or covering 3. Slidably mounted in the casing in the usual way, is a latch bolt 4 the inner end of which is provided with a'T shape slot 5, and is adapted to be received in a recess 6 formed in the forward edge of a gravity tumbler or weight 7. secured within the recess 6 is a transverse pin 8 which is adapted to be engaged in the head of the T shaped slot 5 as shown, and forms the operative connection between the turnbler and, bolt.

to this spindle and positioned within the casing Is an operating member 13 provided with the depending lugs 14L and 15. The lug 15 which is the longer of the two lugs extends downward in spaced relation with the forward edge of thearm 9'and is adapted to be engaged with said arm belowthe pivot point thereof, while the other or shorter lug let isv adapted to be engaged with the rear edge of the arm above the pivot point. From this it will be evident that when the knob spindle is turned in either direction one of the lugs mentioned will be'brought to bear against the arm 9 to raise the tumbler 7to a bolt retracting position.

The rear end of the tumbler 7 is cut away to provide a shoulder 16 engageable with which is a stop 17. This stop 17 consists of an enlargement formed on a bar 18, one end of which bar is rotatably secured to the side of the casing and the opposite end of which projects through the face plate 2 and has an operating knob 19 secured thereon. By means of this knob the stop is moved into and out of engagement with the shoulder formed on the tumbler and when engaged with said shoulder will prevent the tumbler from being moved to a latch releasing po-' of the casing. This key 20 is more especially intended to be used as a night latch as it is impossible for a person on the outside of the door to displace the same when once secured in position. In the day time however it is more convenient to use the stop 17 which can be more readily and easily operated and is better adapted for frequent usage.

To operate the latch, assuming that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the stop 17 engaging the shoulder 16 and holding the tumbler in operative position. To release the latch the knob 19 is operated to disengage the stop 17. Then by turning one of the door knobs 12 either the lug 14. or the lugl5 will engage the arm 9 and swing the tumbler rearwardly on its pivot shaft 10. This rearward movement of the tumbler will draw the bolt to a retracted position within the casing. hen the knob spindle is released the tumbler will gravitate to its former position and will again force the bolt into a projected position. Then either of the two latch members previously described can be operated to lock the tumbler in operative position.

It is to be understood that I have shown and described only a preferred embodiment of my invention and I reserve the right to make such changes in the construction, arrangement, and proportions of the several parts thereof as may come within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A latch, including a casing, a latch bolt mounted in said casing and having a slot formed in its inner end, one end of said slot being enlarged, a tumbler pivotally secured in said caslng and provided with a recess to receive the slotted end of said bolt, a pin secured in said recess and adapted to be engaged with said slot, and means for operating said tumbler to move the bolt to a retracted position.

2. A latch, including a casing, a projection on one side of said casing, a latch bolt mounted in said casing, a gravity tumbler pivoted above said bolt and operatively connected therewith, said tumbler provided with a large opening normally positioned opposite said Projection, a face plate secured to said casing and equipped with an opening, a key sliding in said opening and having an enlarged recessed head adapted to be passed through the opening in said tumbler and engaged with said projection and means for operating said tumbler when the key is in an inoperative position.

3. A latch, including a casing, a latch bolt having its inner end provided with a T shaped slot, a tumbler equipped with a recess to receive the slotted end of said bolt, a pin secured in said recess and adapted to be engaged with said slot, an arm formed on said tumbler and pivotally secured in said casing, an operating member carried by said spindle and including a pair of depending lugs adapted to engage opposite side of said arm above and below the pivot thereof, a shoulder formed on said tumbler, and a stop pivotally mounted in said casing and engageable with said shoulder.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN SAMUEL HEADEN.

Witnesses:

W. S. CoMsTooK, M. E. BEAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

